Feedback at the right time

Imagine that you are going to a dance class. The instructor is of few words – until the final lesson, where she takes you aside and delivers an extensive evaluation: “...and you really should have thought of your posture”. You probably wouldn’t rush to sign up for part two of the course. Organization re- searchers Alexander Stajkovic and Fred Luthans have listed what it takes for feedback to be usable, and they have ob- served that the timing aspect is particularly critical. In order for us to develop from feedback, it should follow the action itself as closely as possible – preferably immediately. For example, it is better to have regular employee conversations as a manager rather than to compile all feedback into one annual conversation.